Common Beginner Mistakes
The mistakes that cost real performance for no good reason.
Buying a speaker with low sensitivity paired with a modest AVR. The room needs headroom the combination can't provide.
Setting speakers to Large without a real reason. It bypasses the subwoofer's advantage and pushes distortion up in the mains.
Choosing a screen larger than the room's viewing distance supports. Big screens are exciting for one week and fatiguing after that.
Related topics
- Speaker SensitivitySensitivity is measured in dB SPL at 1 watt from 1 meter. Every +3 dB of sensitivity is roughly like doubling your amplifier power.
- Bass ManagementBass management is how the AVR routes low frequencies from your speakers to the subwoofer.
- Screen Size & Viewing DistanceSMPTE recommends about a 30 degree viewing angle; THX prefers 36 degrees. Screen width times 1.5 to 1.9 gives a good seat distance.